Strategy and Soulmates
by NeonDomino
Summary: When a soulmate name finally appears on his body, James has to make the choice on whether to keep pursuing Lily or to give Hermione a chance. Hermione/James Soulmate!AU. For Sam.
1. Chapter 1

Written for the GGE. Feb: Sam - James/Hermione, Soulmate!AU, same age.

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 **Strategy and Soulmates**

James Potter/Hermione

For Sam

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"All I'm saying is that Hermione Granger is a sexy witch," Sirius said to the other Marauders as she walked past, dropping down in a seat further down the bench.

Remus shot him a look of disdain. "Really?" he asked. "I'm sitting right here."

"You know I love you, my delicious Moonpie. It's just… don't you see the cardigan and books? She's like the girl-Moony."

Remus rolled his eyes. "God help her when she meets the straight version of Sirius," he muttered.

"What? It's the highest compliment I can give," Sirius insisted.

"Look, Lily's just turned me down… again. Half the girls in school are laughing at me," James said, frowning at his friends. "Scratch that. I'd say more. Can we just focus on the problem at hand?"

"We are," Sirius replied. "You said Granger's name appeared the morning we came back which is the same day Granger turned up. I don't know why you still try it on with Lily. When will you get over this, James? You convinced yourself that Lily's name would suddenly appear on your body, and you thought that yours would appear on hers. You refused to see reason until now. You need to get over it and realise that Lily has someone else's name on her."

"I know, but I've invested so much—" James started.

"And that was because you had no soulmate name," Peter said, finally joining the conversation. "James, you had no name so you set your sights on the person who wasn't meant for you. You knew she'd never give you a chance, and I bet that's why you carried on. If you kept going after Lily, you wouldn't have to face up to the fact that you had no-one."

"That's not—" James tried, but his friends weren't finished.

"He's right," Remus said. "Now your name has finally shown up just like you always wanted, and what do you do? You ignore her; you disrespect her by chasing after another girl."

"Not everyone stays faithful to their soulmate at first… well, not until they get together," James murmured. "Sirius, how many people did you date before Remus?"

"Three. I didn't throw myself at them though," Sirius said with a shrug. "Remus dated two Hufflepuffs before me."

"It's not about us though," Remus said. "We were both uncertain how to approach each other in a way that wouldn't mess up our friendship and the group, so we ignored the names until we couldn't deny our feelings any longer."

"Plus, Sirius only dated them so he could follow Remus on his dates and make sure they weren't… what was it you said, Sirius? Weren't taking advantage of your Moonpie? You were both so useless," Peter added with a laugh.

"But you and Granger..." Sirius added. "That's another story. You are single. She's being eyed up by Malfoy and half of the boys in the school. I mean, new girl after them seeing the same faces all of the time. Of course she's getting all of their attention. Now, how many of them do _you_ want _her_ to date before settling for you."

James glared at his friend. "It's hardly settling," he muttered. "I'll think about it."

"Just remember something, James," Remus said, reaching for some sausages that had appeared on the table. "You got Hermione's name and she also has yours. You could hurt her feelings by ignoring her. She's your soulmate, and you're also hers, so maybe you should be considerate."

...oOo…

For the next week, James stopped in his attempts at getting Lily's attention and started thinking hard about the things his friends had said to him.

He had always felt like he was the odd one out by not having a name on his body, but there were different things that a lack of name could mean.

His soulmate wasn't born yet; his soulmate was dead; or he just didn't have a soulmate. If there was any other reason, he couldn't think of it.

James hated all of the three assumptions. The first meant that with every year that passed by, the age gap between him and his future soulmate grew, and it was less likely that they could be together once she (or he) was of age. He didn't want to find her when he was like forty and then have to wait for her to be an adult. That felt a little creepy.

The second meant that he had lost his soulmate without even getting the chance to meet them. He wondered if it was better this way. He wouldn't have to worry about age, or about knowingly losing them, but the idea still made him feel sick.

Finally, the last. The one he suspected was the real case. He didn't have a soulmate. Fate had forgotten about him when matching soulmates with each other. So when he woke up the day he was due to leave for Hogwarts, he didn't even notice the name at first, going about his usual routine of a shower and _'swinging his beater's bat'_ as Sirius called it, before heading to the sink to brush his teeth. It was only when he returned to his room and stipped off the towel that he caught his reflection in the mirror, his eyes quickly finding the name.

 _Hermione Granger._

The first thing he had done was call for the other Marauders who didn't appreciate that James was completely nude when they rushed in, but after he put some trousers on, they all congratulated him.

But James was secretly thrilled. Finally he had a chance to have something like Remus and Sirius had. It was something he wanted for himself for so long. Finally there was a name on his body, and the girl shortly followed, appearing at Hogwarts to be sorted as a 7th year—something unheard of, according to Remus. (and Remus would know, he had read the school history so many times that he could recite facts from it.)

But faced with a soulmate and a beautiful girl that took his breath away, James struggled to get out of his usual routine of approaching Lily and asking her out. Because he was used to Lily's rejection and her eyerolls. He was used to her reaction to him.

Hermione on the other hand… James couldn't bear if she rejected him too. But if he didn't approach her or ask her out, she wouldn't be able to reject him.

His friends had hit the nail on the head though. He had been the one to get Remus and Sirius to admit their feelings for each other. After all, they were soulmates and _made_ for each other. Very few things were more important than their friendship, but soulmates were one of them.

James had _told_ them that they've already found each other, so why would they even need to consider going on a date with someone else? That had been at the start of the holidays and they were so happy, something James wanted to feel with his own soulmate.

Of course he was dragging his feet.

But not anymore, he decided. They were right. From that moment on, he'd try and be good enough for Hermione Granger. She had probably heard all of the rumours—and some stories that were likely true—about him, and James hated the idea that she just had a bad opinion of him.

Maybe he could show her that he was a good guy whilst starting the courting process.

...oOo…

It was a month since they had started back at school. A month since Hermione had walked into the school and joined the Gryffindor table, much to the shock of everyone. A month since Dumbledore told them that she was new and had been sorted privately.

A month since her name had appeared on his chest.

James suspected that it wasn't a coincidence that her name appeared the same day that she did, and it was clear that the girl had secrets. After all, September had been roasting and she had been the only girl with buttons done up to her neck on her shirt and sleeves down to her wrists. He had heard rumours that she had a private room because of terrible nightmares that had woken the other Gryffindor girls up.

But those were on future-James' list of things to find out about. Right now, James had to impress Hermione and show her that her soulmate was extremely mature and awesome, with great hair.

He started to think of ways to impress her. Quidditch was his big talent, and he was quite smart. He was also one of the best in the duelling club. Pleased at the list already, he decided that it wouldn't be too hard to impress Hermione. After all, who _wouldn't_ want him?

Well, Lily Evans didn't want him.

But Hermione was his soulmate. She wouldn't hate him like Lily did… would she?

Feeling a little less confident, James started making plans.

...oOo…

"So… Granger, I've noticed you haven't signed up to duelling club," James said, as he dropped in the seat next to her.

She looked at him, her eyes widening as they met his, and the surprise quickly moved into wariness. "I didn't know there was a duelling club," she replied after a moment.

"Well, it hasn't started, but the list is up on the noticeboard. Same as last… right, you weren't here last year. Well, we have a duelling club. Did you do any duelling where you were before?"

"We had one dueling club, but I learnt," Hermione replied, with a small smile. "Though our teacher was quite terrible at what he was doing. We were better off practising without him."

"So… why don't I show you our club? We have Professor Flitwick as our instructor. He's a duelling master."

Hermione bit her lip, considering the idea. "I've had a bit of a tough summer holiday," she finally replied. "After… after things, I'd prefer to focus on my studies and take it easy for a bit. Maybe I'll take you up on that offer after Christmas?"

"Yeah, sounds good," James replied, a little bit downcast. He reminded himself that Hermione hadn't said 'no' to him, even if she had blew him off for a later date.

He gave her a warm smile before standing up again and heading back to his friends. He shook his head slightly to show that he didn't have any luck.

"She said maybe after Christmas," he murmured. "She had a hard summer."

Remus stared over at Hermione. "I don't think she was making excuses," he replied. "You need to think: she's the only student to transfer to Hogwarts… and Hogwarts is the safest place to be. So Hermione has some secrets. Maybe she's recovering from something or maybe she doesn't want to draw attention to herself?"

Sirius scoffed. "She's here to make the school look good," he replied, knowingly. "Have you seen her swotting away in class? She'll get top results which will make Hogwarts look good, turning out such a brilliant student."

Peter shrugged. "She said she had a private tutor, but where would a muggleborn get a private tutor from?"

"Muggleborn?" James asked, eager for the information Peter was providing. "How do you know?"

"She acts like Lily sometimes. She dropped books the other day and picked them up by hand rather than using a spell to do it. I notice the muggleborns do things themselves rather than using magic as the first response. But Hermione's a bit odd. I mean, she doesn't 'get' house-elves either. She's always talking to them, befriending them… and she acts… there's a lot she doesn't know about the magical world. That's it."

"So it's just guesswork?" Sirius asked.

Peter nodded, but pulled a face at Sirius. "It might be a guess, but it's the right one," he replied. "I've seen her in the library. She searches for books instead of summoning them."

"It doesn't matter," James said, shrugging his shoulders and sneaking another glance at Hermione. "What I need is a plan. Guys… we need to call a meeting."

...oOo…

"I need to know where I went wrong in the past with girls like Lily so I can avoid it," James said, looking at each Marauder in turn.

Remus snorted. "It'd be a shorter list to talk about where you went right."

"Thanks. That gives me confidence," James deadpanned.

"Mate, the problem with Lily was the way you treated Snape," Sirius said. "We hate that slimy, snivelly git, but you were so obvious about it, whilst, at the same time you were trying to get Lily to like you. Bad move."

"So… no hexing her best friend," James said, nodding. "She hangs out with Alice. Yeah, Frank would kill me if I even looked at Alice wrong, so no worries there."

"The love poems and overly romantic gestures need to stop," Peter said.

"No," Sirius disagreed, shaking his head. "Girls love that stuff. Remus—"

"Please don't compare me to a girl," Remus interrupted.

"I wasn't," Sirius muttered, defensively. "I was about to say that you really love that sort of thing too."

Remus nodded slowly. "I think that's quite a tricky matter," he said. "I expected Sirius to act like that because that's who he is. I knew it'd be loud, very public love declarations and stuff. So Hermione should have an idea of what you're like and be expecting it herself. If she doesn't like it, you'll have to work out what would be too much in her eyes but shouldn't change who you are to suit her."

"So I should just send her flowers at first and work my way up?"

"No," Remus replied. "When Sirius started courting me, if he had tried to treat me like one of the others he dated, I would not have been happy. You need to show her that you'll always try harder with her than you ever had with anyone else, but be careful not to overdo it."

"Moony has a point. Hermione has seen all the attempts with Lily this term so far. If you do better for her in your first attempt, it'll show her that you believe she's worth the effort," Sirius said.

"Go big or go home," Peter added.

"Okay, so giant romantic gesture," James decided. "And what else do we know about her?"

"She spends a lot of time in the library," Remus said. "She studies with the younger students and has taken a few muggleborns under her wing. I heard her a couple of weeks ago talking about the transition from muggle to magical world. She's been helping with spells and stuff. She's a good teacher."

"Studying?" James repeated. "Maybe she wants to be a professor? I could show her how smart I am?"

"Or she's one of those motherly types that takes people under her wing," Peter offered.

"Either way, she's good with the first years. Maybe you could try and be decent to the lower years if you want her attention."

"I'm decent to them," James replied defensively. "Now, I just need to wait for the best chance to get Hermione's attention."

...oOo…

James found himself staring at Hermione through the whole of Ancient Runes. Hermione had finished her work before anyone else in the class, and she had answered the most questions. He was impressed with her. She was extremely smart and so passionate about her subjects.

And Sirius was wrong. The more James watched, the more unlike Remus she was. Remus tended to be more quiet in classes whereas Hermione wasn't afraid to speak up. The only similarity between the pair that he could tell, was their love for learning.

That's why she'd fit into the group so well. She was _his_ soulmate. She had a mutual love for books like Remus, and she wouldn't take any of Sirius' crap. Also, from what Remus said about her looking out for younger students: well, that showed that Hermione was patient. People needed to be patient with Peter.

The more he thought about it, the clearer he could see them all hanging out together. Peter and his mystery girl (who he still hadn't divulged the name of), Sirius and Remus, and him and Hermione.

He barely realised what he was doing as he slipped from his seat the second the bell rang. He headed to the front row, walked past Lily and stopped in front of Hermione.

He didn't feel smooth, he didn't have love-poems or big declarations. No flowers or enchanted items to help him.

"Hermione, I'd really like to take you to Hogsmeade on the weekend," he asked sincerely, his voice soft.

He waited with bated breath as she considered his offer, her eyes moving over to where he suspected Lily was watching.

"That'd be nice," she finally murmured, a smile tugging at the corner of her lips.

"Great!" His confidence came back quickly, but he held his tongue, not wanting to say something stupid and ruin it. "I'll meet you in the common room at half-ten? We could look around and have lunch together."

"I'd like that," Hermione said, her smile widening. "Uh… will Sirius, Remus and Peter be joining us, or…"

James felt the stirring of jealousy. "What? Why?"

"Well, I was just trying to work out if you wanted me to hang out with you guys, or if this was…"

James brightened, the jealousy disappearing. He had clearly jumped to the idea that Hermione could be interested in one of his friends. Instead, she was just trying to get a feel of what was happening that weekend.

"It's a date," James confirmed. "Definitely a date."

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 **Review Please :)**


	2. Chapter 2

**Strategy and Soulmates**

James Potter/Hermione

For Sam

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So... I was supposed to mark the story as complete. It was only supposed to be a one-shot, but...

Well, everyone loves this story and wants more, so you've convinced me to make this an MC.

I literally have no plan for what to do with this story, but I'm working it out. Enjoy. :)

* * *

 _Hermione rushed through the castle, spells flying from all directions around her. Her eyes quickly darted from person to person, to body on the floor, before returning to the map, searching for any familiar name, as, through the battle, she had lost sight of her friends. She knew stopping now to look properly would result in her death, so she kept on._

 _A spell hit the shield she had up around her. All her focus and magic was set on keeping the shield up, yet the power of the magic behind the spell left her feeling breathless and winded. She continued on, forcing the shield to stay up. She had been through too much to let herself be taken down by a worthless Death Eater. She knew she had to make it._

 _She ran through doorways and up various hallways, the spells lessening as she moved away from the battle. Names faded as she got closer, but one name seemed to stand out on the map. Remus Lupin._

 _She spotted him heading up to the Headmaster's office._

 _She followed, reaching there only a couple of minutes later. The office was open and she rushed up._

 _Remus had his wand pointed at the doorway as Hermione rushed through. She could see the spell on his lips, and how he stopped himself from casting it upon the sight of her._

 _"I think the map is broken," she gasped, out, slamming the door behind her and letting her shield down. "It was only showing you. More than that, your name stood out on the map. What's going on? Is there something going on with the map that we don't know about?"_

 _"Show me the name," he demanded, ignoring her questions._

 _Hermione hesitated for a long moment. Her eyes moved over the fresh wounds on Remus' skin and the few rips in his clothing, showing curses that had gotten too close. His shirt was red, and she realised that it was from blood. Remus was clutching his side and clenching his teeth together, trying to hold back evidence of the pain._

 _She realised that Remus wasn't going to answer until he got what he wanted. She always wondered if the Marauders had known, or if it had only been James that was aware. She reached for her sleeve, pulling it up and showing the name that was a couple of inches above her wrist._

 _"I knew it," Remus murmured. "Well, I suspected."_

 _"How?" Hermione asked. "Did he show you? Did… did…"_

 _"Sirius saw your arm once when you were washing up. He caught the surname," Remus explained. "He thought it was for Harry, but I knew better."_

 _"You… you did?"_

 _Remus nodded and took a deep breath. "I'm sorry, Hermione. I remember him confiding in us about a soulmate after he had married Lily, that a name had appeared. Lily was pregnant and James did the right thing and stayed with her, though things were rocky between them. He never told us your name. When Sirius said you had 'Potter' on your arm, he was delighted."_

 _"I thought they were very much in love?"_

 _"James believed he had no soulmate - it ate away at him," Remus said. Hermione watched him suck in a painful breath. "Lily… she had a soulmate, but it was someone she couldn't be with."_

 _"Who?"_

 _Remus hesitated. "You need to know this before it's too late," he said. "Her soulmate was her best friend growing up, and her best friend at Hogwarts until their falling out. Her soulmate was Severus Snape."_

 _"Professor Snape?" she gasped, her eyes widening. "But Lily Potter was… Snape's a Death Eater."_

 _"He was torn between two worlds," Remus replied sadly. "She thought she could save him, but he called her a Mudblood and she gave up on him."_

 _"Just like that?" Hermione asked. "She gave up on her soulmate for that?"_

 _She shook her head before continuing "I'm sure he was sorry. It was a terrible thing to say, but… but Harry told me about how you all treated Snape. You were bullies when you were younger. She could forgive James' behaviour but not Snape's behaviour?"_

 _"I have to agree," Remus said. "I have no excuses for our behaviour back then, only that I'm sorry about our actions." He held out a small bag with his free hand. "This is for you."_

 _Hermione moved forward, taking the bag by the chain-strap attached to it. She opened it and glanced inside. "Remus, what—"_

 _She looked up, the words dying in her throat as she noticed the wand pointed at her. "Remus?" she whispered, her eyes widening. Her hand twitched, but she didn't go for her wand. She trusted Remus and knew he'd have a good reason to have his wand out._

 _"I'm sorry," he murmured. "I'm not going to hurt you, Hermione, and I'm not going to betray you. I'm going to send you to fix everything."_

 _"What do you mean?" Hermione asked, her eyes fixed on the wand._

 _"The universe wouldn't have given you and James each others names unless you were meant to meet," Remus explained. "Don't you see, Hermione, you're not supposed to have James' name. The name should have disappeared when James died."_

 _"How do you know—"_

 _"Because they all do. The moment Sirius went through that veil, I felt his name fade from my body. There are only three ways you don't have a name on you. First, is when your soulmate isn't born, which is why James' took so long. Second, is when you lose your soulmate - as the name leaves. The third is rare and it's when someone is just born with no soulmate. Your name should have faded when you were a little child. It's still there and James Potter is dead. It means that you are supposed to meet him."_

 _"I don't know if I agree," Hermione murmured. "Maybe it's just an accident that it stayed?"_

 _"It's not," Remus assured her. "Fate gave you each other's names and fate brought about the death of James and Lily. Fate left his name on you so you knew you had a soulmate. That name on your skin is to remind you of who you are supposed to be with, yet he's not alive." Remus took a deep breath, his wand still pointed at Hermione. " I can't go back, neither can Harry or Ron or Neville. It has to be you."_

 _Hermione realised what he meant. All the talk about her meeting James, sending her to fix things. Talking about the name being a sign. Remus wanted to send her back. "Why me?"_

 _"Because this moment right here was meant to happen," Remus insisted, lowering the wand. "You were meant to do this. You were meant to try and make a difference. You were meant to be with James. He wasn't happy at the end. I… I suspect they only stayed together because of Harry. James had tried to leave, but he went back when Lily said she was pregnant."_

 _Hermione opened her mouth to argue with him, but Remus shook his head. "I'm sorry," he repeated, and Hermione could see that he truly was. She could tell by his face that he was desperate and that this was clearly a last resort. He was someone who had lost everything and had nothing left. He had lost his soulmate, his friends and everything he valued. The blood was soaking his shirt and he was barely able to stand._

 _Hermione could tell he only had minutes left. He had suffered through the pain to tell her everything but there was no more time now._

 _She also knew that whatever she said, he'd send her back anyway._

 _"I'll try," she whispered. "Send me back."_

...oOo...

James rushed away from Hermione, back to his friends, and Hermione smiled at Alice who was sitting next to her. "I have a date," she murmured.

"I heard," Alice replied, rolling her eyes, but returning the smile. "Let me put you in a dress, no more stuffy clothes. Please! I'll make you look amazing."

Hermione's smile faded. Dresses didn't cover her skin. Dresses showed off some of her scars. She quickly shook her head. "Jeans and a sweater would do nicely," she decided instead. Those had always worked before, as she had to hide the name from Harry at all times.

"Fine, your choice. It's only your first date with _James Potter_ ," Alice said. "Do you know how rare it is that he asks someone out who _isn't_ Lily? You need to be careful you don't get hurt."

Hermione gathered up her books and pushed them into her bag. She stood up, Alice quickly following suit, and they turned towards the doors, walking past the Marauders.

"Judging by the month I've been here, I think I can guess," Hermione replied. "Look, I get how he feels about Lily, but it's just one date. I'm not agreeing to marry him or anything. I'll just wing it and see how it goes."

"Hermione, I've only known you for a month, but I don't think you're the sort to wing it," Alice stated.

"Oh, you don't know the half of it," Hermione laughed. "I'm the sort that'll ride on the backs of dragons and hippogriffs and break into Gringotts. I can break the rules."

Alice laughed. "I can't even begin to picture you doing anything like that."

"Well, like you've said: I've only been here a month. How do you know I haven't?" Hermione insisted with a grin. "So, do you want to drop your bag in the dorm first, or just go straight to the Great Hall for something to eat?"

"Starving," Alice admitted. "Let's go to the hall."

...oOo...

"And you specifically said it was a date, right?" Sirius checked.

"Yeah of course I did. She was totally up for it," James replied. "I've got a date with Hermione Granger. I'm taking her to Hogsmeade!"

Remus rolled his eyes as Sirius and James high-fived.

"Picture how beautiful our babies will be!" James continued.

"James, don't start doing that," Remus warned. "Don't obsess over her. Look how it went with Lily…"

"Lily hates you," Peter chimed in. "You know, I think you went about that the right way. You didn't set up some Sirius-level theatrics with songs and poems and flowers, you just asked her straight out. Hermione looks like someone who prefers straight to the point rather than long winded stuff."

"So, I shouldn't give her chocolates or flowers?" James asked, as the group left the room shortly after seeing Hermione and Alice walk out. "Then what do I do?"

"Try to think romantically," Sirius said. "My Moonpie loves when I get him—"

"Yes, yes, we all know about Remus' addiction to chocolate," Peter interrupted, rolling his eyes. "But what we don't know is what Hermione loves. That's what you need to find out."

"Ask Alice," Sirius insisted.

"I think taking a guess would be your best bet. I think she might be the sort that'd like you to work it out for yourself. No flowers or chocolate, nothing over the top. Something simple," Remus suggested.

"I'll… I'll look through my charm book and see if I can work something out," James said, frowning slightly. "Guys, I'm going to need my Marauders for this, to make things perfect."

The other three nodded their heads. "Whatever you need," Remus insisted.

* * *

 **Review Please :)**

I'll hopefully have the next chapter up in the next few days/next week.


	3. Chapter 3

**Strategy and Soulmates**

James Potter/Hermione

* * *

Thanks for all of the reviews for the first two chapters. You guys are the reason I've continued this story! I'm sorry I've not replied individually to your reviews. Real life has been a bit crazy recently and I've not had much time to do any writing.

For those of you that read my other stories: I have not abandoned anything! I plan to finish all of my MCs!

Also, this fic features some Wolfstar (Sirius/Remus). If you've made it this far, you should have realised by now. If at any point you realise you adore these together as much as I do, I have hundreds of stories about them on my profile.

I'm also going to be starting a Hermione/Remus MC/collection for Mother's Day... so watch out for that. I'll be writing the first part for it after posting this chapter, so it'll be up in the next few days.

Enjoy. :)

* * *

 _"Goodbye, Hermione," Remus said softly, raising his wand higher once more. His movements were slow, nonthreatening. Hermione stood frozen, resisting the urge to grab for her own wand; she trusted Remus, even if he was pointing his wand at her: something that she would not tolerate from anyone else._

 _This is what Remus needed to happen. His arguments made too much sense for her to ignore or disregard. She knew he'd have spent a lot of time thinking about these things. After all, Remus wasn't one to often act rashly._

 _And the idea of saving everyone… there was no life for her there anymore. So many deaths and the loss of her parents… Remus was right. The only choice was to go back and fix things. She could save lives. She could stop everything._

 _She could meet James. Something she never dreamt would happen. The idea of actually meeting her soulmate was overwhelming and any lingering doubts she had disappeared._

 _She took a deep breath and met Remus' gaze. "I'll see you soon," she whispered. "Goodbye, Remus."_

 _He didn't draw it out any longer. Upon her goodbye, his wand was already moving to cast his spell. She winced as her gaze fell on the hand clutched to his side, now soaked red with his blood._

"Stupefy."

 _Hermione had expected this spell, so wasn't surprised as the word left his lips. After all, time-travelling was a tiring business, she knew he would take precautions to get her back there safely. Her eyes met his one last time, seeing the apologetic look he gave her as the light flew from the tip of his wand. Remus was quick with his spells, shooting out a cushioning charm before the first had even touched her._

...oOo...

 _When Hermione awoke, she struggled to remember what had happened to her. Fragments of memory were there, with visions of spells flying past her inside the castle. She remembered running, but everything else was just a blur. She realised she couldn't remember a few days before and her last memory was at Shell Cottage. She briefly wondered if something had happened to her there._

 _She looked around, curious to where she had ended up. After all, no-where was truly safe. It didn't take long for Hermione to work out that she knew the room, having been there before a few times. The sterile walls and the large windows were all too familiar. The feel of the bed under her felt the same as it had during her last stay here. The same smells filled the place._

 _She was in the hospital wing at Hogwarts. But… wasn't she fighting? Wasn't the school taken by the Death Eaters?_

 _No, she realised suddenly as some of Remus' words came back to her. She had been sent to fix something. Sent back. Back in time? Her head hurt and she wasn't quite sure, but from the calm she felt in that room, she realised that there couldn't be Death Eaters in the castle._

 _So either they had won (but wouldn't the beds be full of hurt students?) or she had come back in time… but how far back was she? Where had Remus sent her?_

 _She began stretching her arms out, quickly realising something was tied to her wrist. She looked at her hand, noticing the pouch dangling from it. She frowned, wondering where she had gotten it from. She moved her hand closer, examining the silver chain._

 _It looked a lot like her old timer-turner chain, and as she realised this, the conversation with Remus started to come back to her, with the memory of Remus giving her the pouch._

 _She carefully pulled the pouch open, her arms aching from the simple movement. She ignored the ache, examining the time-turner inside. The sand was different than her own, a mixture of silver and gold. She carefully placed it back inside._

 _As she closed the pouch. She heard footsteps approach and she quickly turned her head, wincing at the pain. Her eyes met those of the former headmaster._

 _Well, whatever time she was in, he would be the current Headmaster. He didn't look much younger, so Hermione couldn't have travelled too far back… right?_

 _She had been worried that Remus would have sent her back quite far, expecting her to stop Tom Riddle whilst he was still in Hogwarts. Thankfully that didn't look the case. She doubted that Remus would have sent her somewhere where she wouldn't have anyone to help and support her. She guessed that whatever year she was in, Remus Lupin was going to be there to help her… and possibly the other Marauders._

 _"Professor Dumbledore," she murmured, as he stopped next to the bed._

 _"I was curious as to how you ended up appearing in my office," he replied, his eyes darting to the pouch in her hand, and lingering for a long moment. "Though I believe that time-turner would explain a lot. Have you travelled far, Miss…"_

 _"Granger," Hermione replied. "My name is Hermione Granger. Can I hazard a guess that Remus Lupin is a student here?"_

 _The Headmaster smiled at her. "He and his friends are in their last year here. Sirius Black, Peter Pettigrew and James Potter."_

 _At the mention of James, bits of her conversation with Remus began to emerge and her head throbbed. She winced, bringing her hand up. The Headmaster stayed silent, watching her until she finally removed her hand._

 _"Remus… Remus sent me," she admitted. "I would ask that you keep this private, but I'm sure you already know the risks of anyone knowing about me."_

 _"I do," he merely replied._

 _"He sent me because of this." She rolled up her sleeve, revealing the name. "Soulmate names are supposed to disappear if your soulmate dies. Mine never disappeared. Remus believed that it was because I was supposed to be here. He thinks this was supposed to happen."_

 _Dumbledore glanced at her arm. "James Potter dies?"_

 _"He dies when I'm a young child. The name has never faded, but he is dead in my time."_

 _"Curious," Dumbledore murmured, thinking hard. "I don't believe soulmate names remain. There have been a few recorded instances of new names appearing years afterwards, when two people who have lost their soulmates have the same bond and are free to find each other, but for the name of a dead man to stay on your arm… I'd be inclined to agree with Mr. Lupin in this instance."_

 _"That's not the only reason he sent me here," Hermione said, lowering her voice slightly. "Sir, I come from the midst of the second battle against Voldemort: one he was on the verge of winning."_

 _"Say no more," Dumbledore insisted. "Poppy has healed you from your injuries already. I will insist that she allows you to the Great Hall tonight."_

 _"Why would I go to the Great Hall?"_

 _"To be sorted of course," Dumbledore informed her. "I would assume you're in your last year since this is the year Remus chose? I believe he would have chosen so you would end up in the same classes as him and his friends."_

 _"I missed my last year, I was on the run," Hermione admitted. "But I'm happy to repeat it and actually get my qualifications. But I don't feel comfortable going to be sorted in front of everyone. Is there another way we can do this?"_

 _"Very well. What house were you in?"_

 _"Gryffindor," Hermione replied._

 _Dumbledore stood up. "I'll get some documents made up for you, Miss Granger. Come to my office when Madam Pomfrey lets you out and we'll discuss those in more detail. For now: Welcome to Hogwarts and congratulations on being sorted into Gryffindor."_

...oOo...

James found himself watching Hermione. He couldn't wait for the weekend, though there was a part of him that was mourning the possible loss of anything that could happen with Lily. He had set his sights on her for so long, that it felt like a slight betrayal to her that he was pursuing someone else.

He knew he was being stupid. Lily was never his, and she was never meant to be his either. His name wasn't on her arm (or elsewhere on her body), and her name wasn't on his. Hermione's name was there instead. So whatever he thought he felt for Lily… well, that wasn't what the universe wanted.

Plus, his friends all thought Hermione was great from what they knew about her. Though Remus talked to Lily at times and they had a sort-of-friendship, Sirius and Lily had _never_ gotten on and James had always wondered what would happen if Lily ever gave him a chance.

If that had happened, would Sirius and Lily put their differences aside? He doubted it.

"What's making you screw your face up like that?"

James glanced over at Peter. "Just thinking," he said.

"About Hermione?" Peter asked.

James shook his head, before shrugging. "Yes and no," he replied. "I can't wait for the weekend, but it feels strange that… that I'm giving up so easily on Lily."

Sirius rolled his eyes from the other sofa, where he was stretched out across Remus' lap. "Prongs, mate, you can't call that easy," he insisted. "Lily didn't make anything easy for you. You had no chance with her. You've had a gorgeous girl suddenly turn up out of the blue and she's your soulmate. What more could you want?"

James shrugged his shoulders once more, looking between the two girls.

"Maybe once you get to know Hermione, you'll see why she was chosen for you," Remus pointed out. "You've known Lily for years, but you've known Hermione for a month. You've not had enough time with her to see a future. You will."

"Are you sure?"

Remus glanced down at Sirius who was laying in his lap, looking up at him. "I am," he insisted. "Even before you got me and Sirius to admit our feelings for each other, the people I dated meant nothing compared to how I felt about him. I believe if you were to date Lily first and Hermione second, you'll realise that nothing compares to a soulmate. So just skip Lily and be with Hermione. Take a chance, James. I know she'll make you happy."

"You're right," James agreed. "We have a date. I don't want to be caught up on another girl whilst out with… with my soulmate."

Remus stared at James for a long moment. "James, I think that's the problem. You're seeing Hermione as your soulmate, but not considering the person she is past that. She's a pretty girl. She's smart, feisty and friendly. I'm sure there's a lot more to her than that so instead of thinking of her as just your soulmate, think of her as the girl that's right for you that you need to get to know."

"You're right," Sirius agreed, looking up at Remus with adoring eyes before turning his head towards James. "Moony won't even let me shag him until we get to know each other as boyfriends, and not just as soulmates."

"Which is why Sirius has been agreeing with everything Remus says," Peter muttered quietly, causing James to smirk. "He's trying to stay in Remus' good books so he can finally get laid."

"Wait… you said the other day that you've had sex six times already!" James said.

"Oh… I did?" Sirius said, blushing slightly and not meeting anyone's gaze. "Are you sure, mate? I'm pretty sure I said that… we almost had sex that many times… or maybe I said it was that sex-dream about Remus I keep having…"

"Nice save," Peter muttered, snorting. James sniggered at the disapproving look Remus was shooting his soulmate.

"Okay, guys, we were supposed to be brainstorming for ideas on something for Hermione," James insisted, feeling sympathetic towards Sirius and wanting to change the subject before he caused his best mate to not get laid for another few months.

"I grabbed some books from the library yesterday," Remus said. "They're upstairs. Some are based around charmed gifts which I thought would be useful."

"Well, what are we sitting here for?" James asked, jumping up. Peter quickly got up, and Sirius let out a groan as Remus stopped running his fingers through Sirius' hair.

"Now? Can we do it in… an hour?" Sirius muttered, looking pleadingly up at Remus.

Remus shook his head. "But when we're done I'll stroke your hair some more," he promised.

Sirius slowly got up, and took Remus' hand and followed James and Peter towards the stairs.

...oOo...

Hermione refused all attempts from Alice to do her hair and wear makeup, insisting that if James wanted to go on a date with her, he'd have to accept her how she was and she wasn't going to change for anyone.

She did, however, borrow Alice's pale-green sweater as she couldn't help but adore the colour. The sweater had an oversized neck and reminded her of the fashion back in her own time.

Plus she couldn't help but admit that she looked quite nice in it.

She nervously waited in the Entrance hall for James, almost sighing in relief when she saw him walking with Remus and Sirius, deep in conversation. Though she had acted like it wasn't important, to Alice… well, it really was. After all, James was her soulmate.

Though Alice didn't know that.

Also - by being with James, she was leaving the future without Harry. Choosing her own happiness and being with her soulmate meant that she was being selfish and losing her best friend.

But for now, she'd just spend time with him and get to know him. It didn't mean she was choosing a long-term commitment or to marry him, right?

As they got closer, Sirius and Remus dropped back, leaving James to approach on his own. Alice didn't move away, instead eagerly watching from Hermione's side.

"Alice," James said, grinning at her before turning to Hermione. His smile softened slightly at the sight of her. "Hermione."

"James," she repeated. She turned to look behind him. "Hi, Sirius. Hi, Remus."

The pair returned the greeting and when Hermione looked back at James, he was holding a single flower.

Her eyes widened as she stared at it. It started as a bud, but slowly bloomed into a rose. But that wasn't what fascinated her. She recognised the words on the page.

"You didn't rip that out of a book, did you?" she asked, her eyes on the flower as it bloomed.

"Nope. I wrote it all out myself," James replied, proudly, holding the flower out.

"I've never seen a spell like this before," Hermione murmured. "How did you do this?"

"Research. I found the spell in a charms book from the library. It was a little tricky as I had to do lots of folding with the parchment first to get it ready for the spell."

"It's beautiful. Thank you." She took the flower carefully, smiling widely at him. "Let me just put this next to my bed, and—"

"I'll take care of that," Alice said, carefully removing the flower from Hermione's hand. "Go on your date and I'll meet you down there. Frank mentioned that he has the day off today… so I'm going to find him."

"If we see him, we'll let him know to start walking towards the castle," Hermione insisted. "Don't you want us to wait for you, and—"

"Of course not. Get walking!" Alice insisted, grinning and disappearing.

Hermione turned back to James. "Do you know what Frank looks like?" she asked. She pictured someone who looked a lot like Neville, but she knew she wasn't supposed to know as she had never met Frank before.

"Don't worry, we all know Frank," Remus insisted. "We'll get the message to him."

"Great. So… should we head down?"

"Yeah." James offered Hermione his arm. She slipped hers through and he lead her towards the doors. "For lunch… I mean, I get if you want to eat alone…"

"If you're asking if your friends can join us, I don't mind," Hermione insisted. "Can Alice and Frank join us too?"

James nodded his head. "Yeah, that's cool. Peter will be coming down too. He's got a date. Is… is there anywhere you'd like to visit whilst we're in Hogsmeade?"

"There's a book I ordered at the start of term that I need to collect. I also need some new quills and ink. Honeydukes is a must as well."

"It is. If it's okay, I'd like to go into the Quidditch supplies and Zonko's, but if you don't want to—"

Hermione laughed, cutting James off. "James, if you want to go into a shop, we'll go in there. I'm not going to insist we go where I want to and ignore where you want to."

"Okay, great," James said. "Sorry, I'm a little nervous."

"I think we both are," Hermione murmured. She slipped her arm from his and bravely took his hand. "But we shouldn't be. I mean, we both want to be on this date. We have a lot to talk about. Friends in common, classes in common. I can't picture a date with you as being boring in the least. So… let's not worry about things and just talk and get to know each other?"

"That sounds good," James agreed, smiling widely and glancing down at their joined hands. "So… what's your favourite animal?"

Hermione grinned. "I'd say an Otter because it's my Patronus and sometimes I cast it just to watch the otter run around. Though I must admit that bowtruckles are adorable. Yours?"

"My patronus is a stag," James replied proudly. "I agree about bowtruckles though. As for favourite animal… stags."

Hermione nodded. "So, favourite food?"

"Stew," James replied, after some thought. "But with sausages and steak and carrots. The type of stew that's got potatoes inside it. Oh, with onions too. I've ordered stew before and been given just the soup. I like potatoes."

"Shepherd's Pie," Hermione said. "With or without vegetables."

"Good choice. You'll like the shepherd's pie in the Three Broomsticks. Rosmerta is an excellent cook."

"I can't wait to try it," Hermione said, turning her head and smiling at James.

"She does excellent desserts," James insisted. "What's your choice of dessert?"

"Hot chocolate fudge cake with vanilla ice-cream," Hermione replied. "Yours?"

"Apple crumble," James said. He tugged Hermione a bit closer, feeling her arm against his. "You'll get along with Remus. He's a chocolate addict."

"Chocolate is great. It helps out more than people realise," Hermione insisted. "It's a good temporary remedy to some spells and potions and gives energy. Plus, it's delicious!"

"She's got it right, James," Remus called from behind them. Hermione snorted. "Why are they walking behind us if they are going to be a part of our conversations?"

"Well, you asked if we were going as a group or just us—"

"I was trying to work out if you wanted to hang out as friends or if you were asking me on a date. I'm not against a double-date, or walking with your friends or meeting your friends for lunch. I mean… I don't want to get ahead of myself… this may only be a single date, or it could be more… but if it is more, I'd like to get to know your friends."

It was only a couple of seconds before an arm slipped around her waist. "Sirius Black," a voice murmured in her ear. "If you ever tire of James…"

Hermione laughed. "If you finish that sentence, I'm sure Remus will put you in the doghouse," she insisted.

"Right you are," Remus said. He smiled warmly at her. "It'll be nice to get to know you too. Me and Sirius have our own plans, but we'll walk down with you and meet you for lunch of course. I apologise in advance for Sirius. He doesn't understand personal space."

Hermione snorted. "I think I've worked that one out," she replied.

James glared at Sirius, pushing his arm from around Hermione's waist and slipping his own there. "I'm sure you wouldn't want me putting my arm around Remus' waist," he said.

Sirius nodded, moving slightly away and cuddling up to Remus as they walked. Hermione couldn't help but smile, slipping her own arm around James' waist and walking quietly the rest of the walk to Hogsmeade, listening to James and his friends chat away.

She didn't mind being around the others. She wanted nothing more than to have Sirius and Remus as part of her life again.

And James of course.

* * *

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